Insane Omate TrueSmart smart watch has its own cell modem, camera, and GPS

A SIM card, GPS, and probably about 30 seconds of battery life

The tech industry has collectively decided that "smart watches" are going to be The Next Big Thing. While the major players are taking their time, many smaller companies are coming out of the woodwork to take a shot at the form.

Today's challenger comes from a Kickstarter project called "Omate TrueSmart," which has the distinction of functioning completely independently of a smartphone. While most wearables go the sensible route and offload battery-intensive tasks (say GPS and mobile data) to your smartphone, Omate has crammed all the normal smartphone bits down into a watch form factor. Check out the spec list:

HSPA, Edge, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 600 mAh battery—it's impressive that Omate has managed to squeeze all that down into a watch. At first glance however, running a full suite of smartphone chips on a 600 mAh battery sounds like you'll need to recharge about five times a day. Omate claims 100 hours of standby time, but we're more concerned about the battery time when the device is actually being used.

The Kickstarter page is all about the manufacturing process, so we get a nice shot of the circuit board, which is pretty amazing. Look at how the micro-SIM and microSD slot take up a quarter of the available space. We really need smaller standards.

Besides the SIM slot, the TrueSmart has a microphone and speaker. Assuming you've got the juice, it will make phone calls.

The TrueSmart runs a custom skin called "Omate UI," which sits atop the impressively recent Android 4.2.2. It even comes with Google Play, so you should have access to all the Google apps (though we're not sure how well Gmail or Maps will work on a 240×240 screen). Input is done entirely through voice, so actually logging into that Facebook account will be a bit of a challenge.

Other fun bonuses include an IP67 rating, which means it is completely protected against dust and can survive water up to one meter deep. While the TrueSmart does have a touchscreen, it also includes traditional buttons, because the touchscreen won't work underwater. Omate has even packed in a 5MPcamera on the side of the watch body, which would aim down the back of your hand while wearing it. If the project hits $500,000, a stretch goal for a Sapphire Glass front kicks in. That's the same nigh-unscratchable substance used in luxury watches.

If this sounds appealing to you, go check out the Kickstarter page to see additional pictures and videos. A TrueSmart of your very own will cost you $199 and should ship in November of this year. Omate has already raised $360,000 at the time of writing, over triple its funding goal, and there are still 24 days to go. Let's just hope it can make the battery last.

Ron Amadeo / Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work.